BRIGHT FUTURES — Haley Hatton finds home, inspiration to help others through theater
Published 12:40 am Wednesday, January 18, 2023
- Haley Hatton is a senior at Vidor High School who has found a home and strength through theater. (Maddie Magnuson/Special to The Leader)
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VIDOR — Achieving your goals takes time, effort and courage.
Sometimes you have to take a step out of your comfort zone to be who you aspire to be.
Haley Hatton, a senior who attends Vidor High School, is very passionate and takes pride in her achievements.
She participates in Advanced Theater, Advanced Choir and Art Club. Hatton says theater has been a huge part of her life since the sixth grade.
As Hatton continued her theater education throughout school, she thought of acting as a hobby, but later realized it is her passion.
Haley Hatton, pictured, will soon be participating in Escapades with best friend Molly Cassell in a singing duet. (Maddie Magnuson/Special to The Leader)
She was diagnosed with depression at a young age and often found it difficult to feel pride in herself and accomplishments. She used to go to her school’s auditorium, fake her emotions and pretend to be someone who she could be proud of.
Hatton later realized if she wanted to be someone she liked, then she had to be the one to change. Theater helped her overcome many of those personal challenges, she said.
Hatton now plans to go to College Station to attend Texas A&M or attend a college in New York for theater.
She hopes to get a scholarship from the Stark Reading Contest.
She received the award for Best Actress, as well as the Honesty and Integrity Award. She also is the Vice President of the Art Club. She will soon be participating in Escapades with best friend Molly Cassell in a singing duet.
To Hatton, learning, growing and understanding the people around her comes very naturally.
She loves understanding how other people’s minds work and likes learning about why she is the way she is.
She wants to help others with their mental health and help them gain the confidence she used to not have growing up.
She would like to major in psychology for that reason.
“If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten,” is Hatton’s motto.
To her, it means she has to be the one — if her desire is great enough — to make a difference among her peers and the people who surround her.
Editor’s note: This story was written by senior Maddie Magnuson in cooperation with Vidor High School as part of an Orange Newsmedia series with student journalists attending Orange County high schools. If you would like your school to participate or are interested in nominating a writer or story subject, email stephen.hemelt@orangeleader.com.
